America, Fuck Yeah!

I’ve tried to avoid politics in my blog of late, but I can’t contain myself any longer.

Friday night I went to see Team America, the loony puppet movie by the creators of South Park (the title of this post if from one of the songs in the movie). While parts of it were funny, parts of it were just so ugly, and so hate-filled, that I left with a really bad taste in my mouth. I understand the points they were trying to make—they believe it’s hypocritical for Hollywood actors to champion peace, but I don’t agree. I think anyone who has a public forum should use it for good, and championing peace, to this soon-to-be-mother, seems to me to be a good thing that should be rewarded, not ridiculed. Perhaps Michael Moore can be a little heavy handed with his political views, but at least he acknowledges that his movies are based on his opinions. Seeing the puppet Michael Moore blow himself up as a suicide bomber wasn’t cute, or funny, or anything other than ugly and violent.

In the light of full disclosure, I probably wouldn’t have found the movie nearly as offensive if I wasn’t a) pregnant, b) pregnant with boys I’m terrified will have to go to war, and c) so wrapped up in this current election.

However, my current mood, combined with some recent press, has prompted me to speak about politics again.

In Sunday’s edition of The New York Times, in the Magazine, Ron Suskind published a lengthy article about George Bush’s “faith-based presidency” called Without a Doubt. I would link you to it, but you have to register to read the Times on line (although registration is free), so just go to www.nytimes.com and you can do so.

I’ve decided to include these two quotes, just to give you a taste. The emphasis added is mine:

A cluster of particularly vivid qualities was shaping George W. Bush's White House through the summer of 2001: a disdain for contemplation or deliberation, an embrace of decisiveness, a retreat from empiricism, a sometimes bullying impatience with doubters and even friendly questioners.

………………………………

In the summer of 2002, after I [Ron Suskind] had written an article in Esquire that the White House didn't like about Bush's former communications director, Karen Hughes, I had a meeting with a senior adviser to Bush. He expressed the White House's displeasure, and then he told me something that at the time I didn't fully comprehend -- but which I now believe gets to the very heart of the Bush presidency.

The aide said that guys like me were ''in what we call the reality-based community,'' which he defined as people who ''believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.'' I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. ''That's not the way the world really works anymore,'' he continued. ''We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.''

Who besides guys like me are part of the reality-based community? Many of the other elected officials in Washington, it would seem. A group of Democratic and Republican members of Congress were called in to discuss Iraq sometime before the October 2002 vote authorizing Bush to move forward. A Republican senator recently told Time Magazine that the president walked in and said: ''Look, I want your vote. I'm not going to debate it with you.'' When one of the senators began to ask a question, Bush snapped, ''Look, I'm not going to debate it with you.''

……………………………..

Now, call me crazy, but don’t we all live in a fucking “reality-based community?” Not to mention the fact that having a president who “disdains contemplation or deliberation” fucking terrifies me.

Here’s my fucking reality:

In my reality, I’m not afraid of government-based healthcare, since my doctor isn’t in charge of my care anyway—my HMO is. They, and only they, decide what medications I’m allowed to take, even if they are not the best or most effective ones available (of course, I could pay for them out of pocket, but that isn’t realistic based on my financial reality). They will make the primary decisions about the birth and early care of my children. Not me, not doctors, but money grubbing HMO idiots. Could the government really do any worse?

My reality is that if the partial-birth abortion (a hideous, and inaccurate, name) stays in effect, if—God forbid—something went wrong in this pregnancy, and I had to terminate the pregnancy to save my own life or to save my babies from awful pain, my doctor would be forbidden from doing a dilation and extraction procedure. And if the evil, evil John Ashcroft had his way, he’d be able to access my medical records to find out if I did have a d & e, and could then prosecute my doctor and me.

My reality is that my mother-in-law has Alzheimer’s and could benefit from stem-cell research. Who am I to object? I’d gladly donate some of my frozen embryos if I thought it would help her.

My reality is that I have an old friend who has already done three tours in Iraq and he’s in the Reserves. He’s lost his job and nearly lost his house because of the “backdoor draft” you hear John Kerry talking about. He could lose more—his life—if forced to go there again. Even the soldiers in Iraq are beginning to mutiny because they see the futility of this war.

Clearly, I’m voting for John Kerry, and obviously I hope you do as well. Surprisingly enough, The New York Times, that old conservative paper, has endorsed John Kerry. Here is a quote (again, emphasis added is mine:

Senator John Kerry goes toward the election with a base that is built more on opposition to George W. Bush than loyalty to his own candidacy. But over the last year we have come to know Mr. Kerry as more than just an alternative to the status quo. We like what we've seen. He has qualities that could be the basis for a great chief executive, not just a modest improvement on the incumbent.

We have been impressed with Mr. Kerry's wide knowledge and clear thinking - something that became more apparent once he was reined in by that two-minute debate light. He is blessedly willing to re-evaluate decisions when conditions change. And while Mr. Kerry's service in Vietnam was first over-promoted and then over-pilloried, his entire life has been devoted to public service, from the war to a series of elected offices. He strikes us, above all, as a man with a strong moral core.

That’s what I want to see in the White House—a smart man with a strong, moral core. Not a fundamentalist cowboy who uses his faith to justify all kinds of wrong action, and uses the excuse of "God is speaking through me" (oh yes, he's actually said that, more than once) to never change his mind.

There is a touch of good news—for the first time, Slate Magazine has Kerry leading with more Electoral College votes than Bush (they base their info by collecting information from 76 nationwide polls). It’s quite heartening to see Bush’s face under the word “loser.”

Comments

[Sarah B.]

1.

FUCK, YEAH!!!!

;-)

Love,
Sarah

VOTE KERRY! NO MORE BUSH!

[Lia]

2.

Thanks for such a clear headed and convincing post. I only hope that the right people are reading, i.e. those who are undecided or wavering on their support of the W.

And thanks for giving some hope to this fat, sober and currently infertile woman.

http://pryncesslia.blogspot.com/

[ktpupp]

3.

Amen, sister! I can see that you and I haven't strayed apart at all philosophically since the days when we were soooo close in high school even though we are physically far apart...

I can't understand how anyone with even the smallest amount of intelligence and (the all too un-common) common sense can fall for the BS our current president and administration are foisting upon us.

To keep this child/parent/whatever related to fit the them of your blog, one of the best things about my state of motherhood right now is having a 12 year old daughter who will tell you she hates Bush and that he is terrible president, and unlike most Bush supporters, she can back up her opinion with facts, figures and quotes to prove her point! :)

Kerry/Edwards 2004!!!

-=kt=-

[jlp]

4.

I voted today, in the bowels of the Oakland courthouse. Paper (absentee, but in person) ballot, not electronic, because I am just that paranoid, even though I live in California, which should theoretically be going to Kerry. Oh, did I mention I voted for Kerry? Damn straight I did.

P.S. In case you are wondering who I am: I stumbled across your blog by accident one day and now read it regularly.

[Leah]

5.

Now there's the old Cecily I know and love!!! You can bet on who I'm voting for too! Hell even John is voting and he's never voted before in his entire life!

p.s. KT - damned, where have you been hiding??????????????

[Maryann]

6.

What a fabulous post! I am so hooked on your blog.

Bill Clinton said, (in an interview on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - Comedy Central), "When People think, Democrats win". The problem of late is that people are not thinking. If we can just get Our Fellow Americans to stop and think, this country might have the chance to stop swirling down the toilet.

The quote you use from Ron Suskind about the "reality-based community" is chilling. It is practically straight out of George Orwell's "1984". If anyone hasn't read that, or hasn't read it recently, they need to go back because we are living in that world right now.

My baby is supposedly a girl (not 100% sure yet) but I have a 13 year old son and I worry about the draft too. If Bush wins this election I think it's the end of America as we all know and love it. Fuck Yeah! VOTE KERRY!

[peach]

7.

Right on!

Sometimes, I'm so angry and frustrated with so many people in this country and our government that I'm moved to tears.

How can anyone look at the history of our country and then completely disregard our foundation? Our Constitution?

Gr. Yes, I'm voting.

Thanks for the well-phrased, well-thought post.

[Cris]

8.

I have been the big pregnant lady heading up Kerry's campaign here in my city...it's tough, but it will ALL be worth it if that asshat Bush isn't re-elected.
My two year old could do better at being President than he does.
Now, if I went to my boss and said "I did the reports for our funding this way because God told me to, even if they are wrong, I'm doing what God said"...I'd be fired, and maybe even put into the psych ward.
Anyhow, I agree with you 100%.
I'll continue to read about you and the boys and the progress :) Let me tell you, I have a 27 month old and will have another boy in January, boys are the BEST...really. And, if there is a war, their asses will be out of this country in a heartbeat. When the senators/Reps/President send their OWN children to wars that shouldn't be fought, then we'll talk.
Cris

[SusieJ]

9.

I thought you said the comments dried up when you got political. ;)

[Mellisa]

10.

I have to tell you I'm scared to death about this election. I'm Australian and I've just watched our super conservative, Bush-clone, idiot of a prime minister get voted back in because the the majority of my fellow citizens feel like everything is going pretty well for them in Australia. Even though the majority DID NOT support the Iraq war (yes, we're there too), why vote against something as morally corrupt as the war in Iraq (dying children, pulvarised civilians, tortured prisoners, dead soldiers) when the economy of Australia is ticking along nicely and why risk a downturn!!!! And I won't even get into the attitudes towards immigrants and indigenous Australians. I said it with our last election (when the idiots voted for A NEW TAX and we already pay about 40% of our income in tax!!!) that we've sold our souls in Australia for a strong economy. So here we are facing the most crucial vote of our generation in the US and 50% of the country still think GWB is the way to go. I just want to hear one rational argument why people feel this man has delivered anything of value to the American people. The economy is struggling, the deficit is HUGE, the country is at war on two fronts, gas prices are at an all time high (and weren't the Saudis meant to be helping the Bush family out on this one?). People just keep saying he is a strong leader. What does that mean? Hitler was a strong leader. Also pretty unilateral and egotistical in his view of the world and Germany's place in it. Arial Sharon is supposedly a strong leader and the Israeli/Palestinian situation is worse than it has been in a decade. I read all your comments and see so much common sense in it but then have to face the reality that at least half the people in the US don't see things that way at all. My husband is a US citizen and we are flying back to the States on November 1 so that he can vote in person (in Texas of all places!). My mother in law has a Kerry/Edwards sign on her front lawn and she has someone come around in the middle of the night and take it down to replace it with a Bush/Cheney placard. What goes on in these people's heads???? Do they think that by changing her sign she'll suddenly think "But of course, I should have been supporting Bush all along!". Please, someone explain this thinking to me because for the life of me I don't understand. The man could hardly string a sentence together during the debates, at times looked downright demonic, polls showed he deservedly lost all three of them, but has gone up in recent polling! I am terribly scared and depressed at the prospect of another 4 years like the last (and I'm not even pregnant or a mother yet...still trying). And as scared as all you people are, at least you have the small satisfaction of knowing you did not vote for him. Imagine the frustration we in the rest of the world feel at having absolutely no say but knowing the reality is that the consequences of this election reach far beyond US shores.

[buttercup]

11.

Melissa thanks for your insightful post. It is so interesting to hear the perspectives of those in other countries. Flying to the states to vote proves dedication above and beyond! Way to go!

Wow, the "reality-based community" comment is indeed, as someone else said, chilling. I broke out in goose-flesh just reading it. I find that those supporting GWB do so based on one or two narrow beliefs. For instance, my parents (who to my horror have become conservatives) base their ENTIRE vote around the idea that they believe he'll do a better job protecting the country. I cannot imagine basing my vote on one issue. I for one feel LESS safe now than I did pre 9/11. I think his arrogant policies have inflamed the world. We need a leader who can bridge the divide, and YES change his course if necessary! What in the world is SO WRONG with a leader who can be flexible when the situation changes? I've never understood why people find W's unwillingness to change course appealing.

So, thanks Cecily, for getting political. It's good to read the comments of so many others who feel as I do.

JK in 2004!

[Expat]

12.

yes

yes, yes, yes

yes, yes.

Every single point you made was a zinger. I cannot comprehend how somone could vote for someone who doesn't mull over the facts before making a decision.

As another Aussie, I can kind of see why a strong economy would be appealing, but Bush can't even balance the budget!

I saw a bumper sticker the other day:
Bush/Orwell 04
Ignorance is strength.

[Geezus was black]

13.

Was that a conclusion or simply the place where you got tired of thinking? What a load of dung.. This movie is ugly and violent?! This is just stereotypical movie and sarcastic. Who in the right mind would take it seriosly.. apperently someone like you.. geezus, i can't belive you made me waste 2 minutes of my life on this...